Killed, 9 Injured In Shooting At Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood

Years before Garrett Swasey joined a Colorado campus police department, he was making intricate dance moves on ice.

Swasey had been with university police for six years, authorities said.

Five other officers were wounded.

In Hartford, police said Friday night that they were aware of the situation in Colorado Springs and will continue to best safeguard those who visit the local clinc.

“I want to convey to the loved ones of the victims: this is a bad, awful tragedy that occurred here in Colorado Springs today”, Mayor Suthers told reporters.

She confirmed 11 people had been taken to the hospital with injuries, including five officers.

– From AP writer Sadie Gurman in Colorado Springs. Earlier reports said the attacker was “contained”.

The Denver Post reports that “three officers” have been injured attempting to confront the gunman.

The Colorado Springs clinic has been the target of repeated protests by anti-abortion activists.

“Planned Parenthood has strong security measures in place, works closely with law enforcement agencies, and has a very strong safety record”.

A photo from the scene showed officers in the area hiding behind their vehicles with their weapons drawn.

Police declined to discuss the gunman’s motivations.

They are also actively investigating items the suspect had brought with him to the location.

The university’s officers are state-certified police.

The motive of the suspect remains unclear.

Police are still are trying to determine how many shooters there are, and say they are prepared for the possibility that there is more than one.

“We’re still pretty freaked out”, she said by phone while still trapped inside the salon.

Her daughter and the others were holed up there for hours while the standoff continued, Tina Garcia said. Jennifer Motolinia ducked under a table and called her brother, Joan, to leave him final instructions for the care of her three children in case the gunman found her.

“People were shooting for sure”. There was a lot of gunfire. There could be hostages and there could be an additional shooter at large, she said.

The shooting also left two civilians dead.

At approximately 2:40 p.m. Central Time, police spokesperson Lt. Catherine Buckley said, “We do consider this still an active situation”.

#CentennialBlshooting still active officers are encountering gunfire. It is not known if that number includes the four officers. Police will need to check them out before a thorough investigation can begin.

At a grocery store in the shopping center, an intercom announcement told shoppers not to leave. He couldn’t immediately say how the officers were doing.

Authorities tapped into the building’s video surveillance system, and were able to monitor the gunman’s movements, officials said. Police have instructed employees at the restaurant next to the building, Jun Jun Japanese, to stay indoors and out of sight.

No further details were available on the incident.